Plug



Dec, 5, 1939 L. B. M GREGOR PLUG 4 I lizzfi zzl z 4 a Filed March '7, 1939 INVENTOR A TTORNEY.

ZAUEf/YCT b. #46665608 Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES rAraNr OFFlC 9 CR3, use

This invention relates to plugs, particularly to 1 a type of plug for the in well casing.

vThis invention has for an object the provision of a device which may as either a heaving 5 'or bridge plug; and so acting in either or both of said capacities, pruces ecient results.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a plug of the character stated, which may readily enter a casing, be positioned therein m at any desired location without using any special setting tools, and which device when positioned does not require slips or other like devices for holding the plug in position.

Another object is the provision of a plug of 15 the character stated, so constructed and arranged as to be readily broken up or drilled out when the use for such a plug is no longer necessary.

Another object is the provision of a plug which permits circulation therearound during the lowg'o ering of the plug within a well casing.

Other objects of the invention include a plug which is simple of structure, inexpensive in cost of manufacture, capable of producing superior results in actual use and service, which iseasily 35 positioned within a casing, and is easily removed from the casing as it may be readily broken up and then bailed out in the-usual manner.

With the above mentioned and other objects in,

view, the invention consistsin the novel anduseo ful provision, formation, construction, association, and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as depicted in a certain embodiment in the accompanying drawing, de-- Figure2 lsafragmentary sectional viewonthe line 0f. F s e 1, and, i I w a Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on an" enlarged scaleonth'e 3-4 ofFigure 1. 45 Referring now with particularity to the drawing, the improved plug as an entiretyis designated by the numeral I. This plugis adapted to ;be' positioned within casing I and at any desired location therein, orwithin the liner, dependent sofiupon'use and service.

The plug includes two guides and held inspaced axial alignment by an interconnecting tubular-member 5. Both guides are longitudinally bored, as shown at I I, to receive re- .duced diameter portions of the tube. 30th (or. town) guides may be provided with longitudinal slots or flutes, as shown at 8. These slots act as circulation waysv or passages. Either one or both of the plugs is adapted to carry at one end thereof a disc 9. This disc in the embodiment shown g may be formed of rubber and is held to the end of the plug by any suitable means, such as by a screw iii. To prevent tearing of the disc 9, a cup-type metal member it may be placed.

against the outer surface of the disc, through w which cup and the rubber disc the screw it has threaded engagement with the guide.

- The tube 5 is provided with spirally arranged transverse bores i2. Wires either in bundles or singly are passed through said bores, with ends is of said wires extending equal distances beyond the guides '8, which material will surround the The operation, uses and advantages of the invention justdescribed are as follows:

, If we assume that a casing has been positioned within a well hole, and through some suitable system, such as a Stratograph, oil sand has been detected at some region through which the casinghas passed, and a test to determine, the

extent of the oil is desired, or if for'some reason the bottom oil sands have become unproductive and other oil sands have been located, through which the casing passes, the plug may be moved downwardly within the casing through the medium of asinker has attached to the sand line, 45 or in practice, the drill pipe may be used to move the plug downwardly to any desired position. The wires frictionally engage the inner surface of the casing, to the end that-the plug will remain at any desired position therein. Cement slurry, such as so shown in Figure 1 at ll may then be poured within thecasing, and the rubber disc will hold the slurry against movement therepast, as shown. Ifweassumethatthecasingisfllledwithfluid prior to entrance of the plug therein, it is evident g5 that the plug may nevertheless be lowered within the casing in the manner stated aforesaid, due to the fact that fluid may pass through the flutes or channels in the guides, and the wire members present no appreciable obstruction to movement of said'fluid. The cup-shaped disc 9 will readily allow passage of fluid thereabove, as is selfevident. However, this cup-shaped disc restricts e downwardly as the cup tends to move outwardly into close engagement with the inner wall of the casing. After cement slurry has been positioned thereonand allowed to harden, perforating of the casing is a mere matter of selection of proper perforating apparatus, and a test may be made of the particular sands. If the sands do:

not yield oil, the cement may be drilled out or broken up in the usual manner and due to the construction of the particular plug, being of wood or aluminum, it is easily broken up, and may be removed or left in the well hole. The removal may be accomplished through the means of a fishing tool in the usual manner.

The device acts either as a bridging or heaving plug. By h'eaving", I refer to unconsolidated productive sand, which tends to heave or flow .into the well with the oil, often filling the hole for several hundreds of feet above the bottom of I the well, thereby requiring-either a reboringor prolonged bailing. As before stated, this, plug may function in the capacity of a heaving plug.

to the end that heaving is prevented.

If we assume that the plug without the disc 9 is at the bottom of the well hole, the guide 4 being directly above the bull nose or shoe, which is usually attached to the end of the liner, sand which would tend to. heave would be thereby prevented from entering the liner through the simple expedient of pouring cement or other substance A bailing operation may take place and when the bailer reaches bottom, a mark will be made upon said bailer when it strikes the top of the plug, particularly if the plug is formed of some metal, such as aluminum or brass. This marking on the bailer will indicate. the position of' the plug with respect to the depth -'of the bailing operation. Furthermore, the plug acts to save the bull nose or shoe of the liner, in that the plug will prevent the bailer from suddenly dropping straight through the casing and liner and hitting the bull nose, knocking it of! or breaking it.

In certain installations, it is not' necessary to flute the guides, as there may be suflicient clearance between the periphery of the guides and the inner surface of the casing to permit circula- .tion past the plug. This would be the case 'for the showing of Figures 1 and 2. although the ides are of fluted construction.

I claim: 1. In a heaving and-bridging Plug construction, two spaced guides, an interconnecting'member therebetween, and wire members secured to a the interconnecting member and radially extending beyond the periphery thereof.

2. In a bridging and heaving plug, a tubular member. guides at each end of the tubular member, wires diametrically passed through said tubular member with ends of said wins extending beyond the periphery of the tubular member, and means for securing said wires to said tubular member.

.3. In a bridging and heaving plug, a tubular member; a substantially cylindrical guide secured at each endv of said tubular member, and

wires passed through said tubular member, the

length of said wires being greater than the diameter of the guides.

4. In a bridging and heaving plug, a tubular" member, end guides secured to saidtubular member, transverse wires passed throughsaid tubular member, and means within the tubular member and surrounding said wires for holding said wires to said tubular member. 5. A bridging and heaving plug adapted to'be positioned within a casing or liner, including a pair of spaced apart guides, an interconnecting member between said guides, and wire members passed through said interconnecting member for frictional engagement with the inner surface of said casing or-linerl 6. A plug adapted to be positioned within a casing or liner, including a tubular member,- guides for each end of said tubular member, said guides" being longitudinally fluted to provide circulation ways, wire members passed through said tubularmember" for frictional engagement withthe inner surface of said casing or liner, and

-means carried by said plug for restricting pasa guide and of greater diameter than thesaid guide,

9. In aFheaving and bridging plug, two spaced guides, an interconnecting member therebetween, and wire members secured tothe interconnecting member; said plug adapted to be positioned 'within a casing or liner, and the said plug constructed tality dropped through said impacting said Pi l- -r iacanucln.uwcmoa..

casin'g'or liner and ofamaterial adaptedtomarkanyinstrumen 

